Worth It
by cclarasdoctor
Summary: Rose has a heart to help people. No matter what the consequences. But this time, she's gone too far.
1. Discovery

**A/N: Alright. If you're currently following my other story, you're probably why the hell my updates are taking so long. Well I'm having some insane writer's block. But, the Plot Bunny visited me last night, so while I'm trying to figure out where I'm going with my other fic, I'm gonna start on this one :) Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who of course. If I did, David Tennant and Billie Piper would still be on the show and Steven Moffat would be working at McDonalds.**

"Well this can't be right..." The Doctor's face fell as he stepped out of the TARDIS, taking in the polluted, unsightly landscape that stretched before him.

"So much for 'A shopping mall so big, they offer vehicles for transportation through it'." Rose mused with a small giggle. "You got the location wrong again. Big surprise, there."

"No, this is the place." He said absently, unfazed by her remark. "Delta 6.7. Known for its breath-takingly brilliant scenery, and beautiful, abstract buildings. The mall is shaped like a giant high heel. You'd love it..." He trailed off, and look down at his watch. "Ah."

"Wrong date?"

"Yup." He said, popping the _p. _"About 400 years too early. They're not even technologically advanced enough to provide any type of sophisticated transportation yet. Their scientific intelligence though, quite fascinating considering the year. Probably close to the equivalence of 20th, _maybe _21st Century, Earth."

"What year is it, then?" she asked, grimacing. "Whenever it is, they certainly need to be taught a thing or two about hygiene." A barrel rolled past them, being pushed by the wind and spilling out trash. "Can we fast forward a few years? An era that's a bit less disgusting?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak then closed it again, sticking his hands in his pockets thoughtfully. "Well, there are still civilizations around here. I came here not too long ago around this time, ate at a _marvellous _little diner! The whole planet isn't this bad." His face lit up. "Best pot pie I've ever had. And that's coming from someone who's not exactly a pot pie person." he winced slightly.

"Alright." Rose smiled happily. "Sounds good to me. I've not eaten since you set the kitchen on fire last night.."

"Oi! I was making you spaghetti! You _could _thank me you know." He gave a mocking pout.

"I ended up eating a bag of crisps to tie myself over while you put out the fire...who sets _water _on fire?"

"In my defense, it wasn't water."

She tilted her head. "What was it then?"

"Olive oil..." he looked away and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Okay. Forget setting water on fire. _Who _gets water and olive oil confused?" She burst into laughter, squeezing her eyes shut. "Only you, Doctor. Only you would do that."

"They look a lot alike!" He defended himself.

"Water comes out of the faucet, and olive oil comes out of a bottle-"

"Water can come out of a bottle too."

"Not a glass one, labeled Olive Oil!"

"Hey, I told you I don't do domestics." He frowned, crossing his arms.

"Fine, fine." Rose's laugh faded into an amused smile, but the laughter still showed in her eyes. "Well, do the diner we go." She looped her arm through his, and they skipped off.

"So, tell me a little more about this place." Rose mumbled through a mouthful of chicken pot pie. "You were right. This is beautiful." She was obviously referring to her meal.

"Told you!" He swallowed his own bite. "So. Delta 6.7; Level 3 planet, 31st Century, Humanoid race, as you can tell." He nodded in the direction of a waiter. "Earth-like qualities, slow intelligence progression-"

"Wait. 31st Century, and the most fascinating thing they have is this dinky diner that looks like its from the 50's?"

"Dinky diner! That's catchy!" He stared into space. "Dinky diner."

"Doctor..."

"Dinky diner...right, sorry. Yes. As I said, Level 3 planet. Earth is level 5, so that gives you an idea of their intellectual abilities." he flailed his fork about as he spoke.

"So their brains just progress really slow or somethin'?"

"Precisely. Here, children, instead of going to school for fourteen years, go for around 20. Starting at age 6, usually until their mid twenties."

"So its like young adults are kids here?"

"Nah. At age 14 they are considered adults. They have their own responsibilities, they move out, et cetra. But their mind is not fully capable of that of an Earth adult. By their mid twenties, they've learned enough to get them by."

"Do they have universities?" She set down her fork, swallowing her bite, fully intent on the conversation now.

"Yep, although, there are only few, as most students choose to return home after completing school. 20 years of consistent education, with no seasonal breaks, will do it for you."

"So basically, the only difference between here and Earth is the intelligence level?"

"Well," The Doctor reclined in his chair, putting his hands behind his head and propping his feet on the table, only to earn a warning glare from his companion and lowering them back to the floor. "Yes and no. The planet, yes. But the people here, although they look it, are in no way human."

"What are the differences, then?"

"To be honest, I don't know." He scratched the back of his head in deep thought. "I don't like not knowing, but I don't. I think they're the only ones who do. They really keep to themselves...and I mean _really. _No one really knows anything about their physical traits."

Before either of them could exchange another word, a cry erupted from the back of the building. The Doctor could immediately detect the distress in the tone, and stood up without second thought, walking swiftly in the direction of the noise. Rose of course, was right at his side, anxious to see the cause.

The sound led them to the kitchen. A small, simple little room. The Doctor saw nothing more than an old oven, a sink, and a grill-type thing attached to the wall. The one thing that caught his eye though, was the sight of a skinny woman crouched over a young, trembling boy.

Upon first seeing the boy, many things came to the Doctor's attention. His glazed eyes, pale skin, labored breathing, and shaking hands stood out the most.

His breath came in short, painful gasps, and he squeezed his eyes shut. The woman looming anxiously over him grabbed his hand and whispered soothing words, a single tear falling from her eye. She gasped, not having noticed the Doctor and Rose standing next to her, and the hand that the man had placed in her shoulder.

"Let me see." The Doctor said simply in a soothing tone, crouching over the boy, who looked no older than 12. "What happened?" He asked, who he was assuming was his mother. He tilted his head at her unresponsive, confused nature. "I'm a Doctor." He explained with an encouraging smile.

The woman shook her head, keeping her eyes fixed on her son. "He's only 11...he's so young..." She broke down, grinding her palms over her bloodshot eyes. "Too young...why him...why'd it have to be him?!" she opened her eyes and looked quite furious.

"Oh now, hold on a minute! Nothin' to worry about. He doesn't seem in a life-threatening position. I'm sure he'll be just fine." The Doctor began examining the boy, while Rose kneeled next to the woman and put an arm around her, whispering soothing words and holding her tight, doing whatever she could in a desperate attempt to help her.

"What's your name?" He asked, needing to find out his extent of responsiveness.

"Jam...Jamaal..." the boy grunted out hoarsely. Opening his eyes to slits, lifting his head slightly off the ground, and peered at the Doctor. "Keep my mother away...don't let her..." He groaned and clutched his head. "Near me..."

"Easy now." The Doctor coaxed, putting his hand under Jamaal's head and lowering it to the ground. "You're going to be perfectly fine. Just let me have a look at you, yeah?"

He shook his head, emitting a small smile. "S'ok. I've lived a good life. I'm ready to go."

The Doctor heard a small gasp come from Rose. He could understand. This was heartbreaking scene, even for him. He grabbed the boy's hand, feeling crestfallen himself. "Its alright, lad. Don't talk like that. Oi, you're only 11. You got a long life a head of you." He smiled.

"You're not from here are you?" He croaked, managing a small smile. "Or you're just.. trying too hard to make me feel better."

"Well you're right about me not being from around here, but I don't overcompensate either."

"He's dying, and there's nothing you can do about it." The mother said suddenly in an almost-shout. "There's nothing anyone can do..." She buried her face in her hands, and Rose rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Why do you say that? Do you know what's wrong with him?" Rose's voice was almost a whisper.

"D-S14...There's been an outbreak in a town a few Kilo's off the road. I told him...I _told _him not to go there!" She shot a furious look at her son. "But he and Kayam just felt the surging need to go take a look. To find out what was happening. Its a plague, and its gonna kill us all...and now its taking my son!"

"It's alright. The Doctor's gonna take care of him. Don't you worry." Rose hugged her comfortingly, but it didn't do any good.

The Doctor focused his attention on Jamaal once again. He ran his hand through the boy's fluffy, thick brown hair comfortingly, and running his thumb over his forehead, frowning at the clamminess of his skin. He gently pressed his middle and ring finger to the pulse point on his throat. It seemed strong and healthy, albeit a bit fast. He placed a hand on his chest, noting the poor respiration. His breaths were shallow, but that was surely due to the pain...coming from where?

"Where are you hurting?" He asked softly.

"Head." Jamaal squeezed his eyes shut.

The Doctor nodded. He'd give him some painkillers once they were back in a safer environment.

"Come on." The woman trembled slightly before standing up. "We've gotta get him to that town. He's just gonna get a bunch of other people sick if we keep him here." Her voice hardened and she hauled her son up by the arm, ignoring his fierce gasp of pain as he clutched his head with his free arm.

"Allow me." The Doctor gently pulled Jamaals arm away from his mother's grasp and hauled him into his arms. "Alright, now. We're gonna get you fixed up in no time." He smiled encouragingly, struggling to hold the expression when Jamaal's only reply was a moan and the lull of his head.

Rose had been silent most of the time, mostly concentrating on keeping Jamaal's mother sane. "I never got your name. I'm Rose." She smiled encouragingly.

"Freya." She muttered simply. Staring at the floor and partially leaning against Rose, who happily offered up her support.

"So tell me a bit more about this D-S14." The Doctor began, as he led the way out the diner carrying the boy effortlessly.

"Its terminal..." Freya whispered shakily. "I've heard only kids get it...usually no older than 16."

"When did all this start?" Rose spoke up.

"A couple months ago. The children never last longer than 3 or...or 4 days...everyone that gets sick is sent to that town. They're kept in quarantine, but there's not much that can be done for them. They keep them comfortable, but there's no cure...my boy...my son..." She broke down again, and Rose was once again right at her side.

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance. They kept walking for a while, then stopped as the town was visible in the distance.

Rose left Freya's side for one of the first times, and stood next to the Doctor, whispering in his ear. "Why can't you just take him back to the TARDIS and treat 'im there?"

He hesitated. "We've had experiences with the drastic consequences of changing just the slightest events in time. If any of these children were meant to die..." His voice lowered a great deal, turning his head as far away as he could from Jamaal's, who was still half-conscious in the Doctor's arms. "We can't change anything a great deal. These children must be cured naturally. The slightest change of events in time can have major repercussions. But I'm not giving up on this lad easily." He smiled softly, looking at the boy. Rose saw a look of affection and despair sweep across her friends face. The Doctor knew there was probably nothing that could be done, but didn't dare voice his suspicions. If he could keep Jamaal's hope alive... that would be better than letting him die unhappy.

Rose looked at Jamaal and her eyes softened. He was so young. So innocent. So small...Absentmindedly she reached out to stroke his hair soothingly, only to have her hand batted away by the Doctor. "What?" She tilted her head.

"Don't touch him. I don't know the extent of the contagion. For all I know you could've already been exposed. Just stay back to be safe. Alright?''

She just nodded, lowering her hand to her side, and following the Doctor as he trudge toward the town.

**A/N: Questions? Comments? Concerns? Review? :)**


	2. Determination

**A/N: This chapter's slightly shorter. My pilot chapters are always the longest. The rest will probably average 1000 - 1500 words.**

**I'm watching Star Trek - Into Darkness while writing this, so it may be a bit rubbish...because Benedict.**

_Chapter 2_

"Rose, stay outside." They stood just yards away from the first house. The town was very small. A few houses here and there, and one, maybe two shops. It was all very low-tech, and to the passer-by would seem deserted. In reality, everyone was in their houses, either sick or caring for the sick.

He still didn't know much about this race besides their very close-to-human features. His brief examination of Jamaal had told him a few things, but there were still things left undecided. He didn't know the extent of their similarity to humans. If there was any chance of Rose catching this, she was staying far away. Of course he could always easily take her back to the TARDIS and treat her with ease, but he would much, _much _rather it not come to that.

Luckily, the spunky blonde seemed to understand with a nod. She took a step back, indicating she would wait while he brought to boy inside.

But as The Doctor and Freya were walking away, he felt someone tug at the sleeve of his pin-stripe jacket. He spun around to see Rose looking up at him with soft, concerned eyes.

"What about you?" She asked suddenly. "They could be just as much like Time Lords as they are like humans. What if you catch it..."

"Oh, don't worry 'bout me." He winked. "I'm too good to get sick. Believe me."

"Just.. be careful alright?"

"I'm always careful." He managed to wrap her in a brief, one-armed hug, before departing to the first little house, closely followed by a bawling Freya, leaving Rose standing alone.

* * *

Rose stood silently, with crossed arms and a tapping foot, waiting anxiously for the Doctor's return.

She still worried for the Doctor. His words were simply to make her feel better, but she knew what he did. He had just as much a chance at catching this illness as she did.

She began pacing, contemplating on whether or not to go inside and retrieve him. It would be easy really, just walk in and insist on him keeping himself safe and coming back outside. Sure, he'd argue. Probably lecture her on going against his orders, which stated clearly to keep herself safe outside.

She should still go in. He wasn't safe in there.

But her better judgment won out. Her place was out here, keeping herself safe, while the Doctor did what was necessary inside.

Rose suddenly took notice to a small window, just to the left of the front door to the house her friends had entered. She walked up to it, cursing under her breath as she tripped on a tree root in the process. She felt crestfallen as she saw a set of dirty, dusty blinds obscuring her view from the activity inside.

What she did so though, was her reflection for the first time all day. Her hair no longer looks silky and neatly brushed as it had that morning. It instead stood up at different angles, and had frizzed up in the odd humidity of the planet. Why hadn't the Doctor said anything? Surely he didn't think that unsightly style to be her new preference. Then again, alien or not, he was a man. All men were the same when it came to hair.

She began making work of her hair, combing through it lightly with her fingertips and removing a hair band from her wrist. She put it up in a slightly messy, but cute ponytail, now smiling at her reflection as she admired her work.

Only then did she notice, she wasn't the only person in the reflection.

With a gasp, Rose spun around to see two men standing still behind her. One was dressed casually, whilst the other was in a crisp, yet dirt-coated lab coat. He also held a small bleeping, flashing device, aiming in directly at Rose, and giving a small affirmative hum.

Rose backed against the outer wall of the house, holding her hands in front of her face as if warding off an attack. "Who the hell are you? Put that down."

"Relax." He lowered the device, with a grim expression on his face. He and his companion exchanged a few words, that Rose was unable to catch, except for the clear word, 'human'. The expressions of both men suddenly held a glimmer of hope, and warm smiles appeared on their faces.

"You're human." The other one said matter-of-factly.

"Yes..." She replied hesitantly, lowering her hands.

He stepped forward. "We need your help."

* * *

The Doctor walked in alongside Freya, who had fallen silent a while ago.

The first thing he noticed was the sounds. The sound of harsh coughing. Labored breathing. The rustling of old, dirty sheets. The crying. The sound of weeping, anxious, fretting mothers as they loomed over their children. The conversations that went among defeated medical professionals.

Then came the sights. The floor of the large was littered with cots, every single one of them holding a poor child or young adult who fell victim to the disease.

The next thing the Doctor knew, Jamaal's weight was being relieved from his arms. A man in simple cargo wear was now holding the boy with a sad expression. He exchanged a look with Freya, who emitted a subtle gasp. He then looked at the Doctor, seeing his slightly confused expression, and freed a hand to extend. "I'm Kirk. Thank you for bringing him here."

"Hello, I'm the Doctor." The Doctor shook his hand firmly. "Very nice to meet you, Kirk. Do you know him?" He nodded to Jamaal. "Poor lad. Suppose he's got the same as the rest of them then?" He looked around at the room full of ill victims.

"Yes." Kirk said simply, bouncing the boy lightly in his arms as he emitted a small groan of pain. "C'mon, bud. Let's get you settled." He then walked away, closely followed by the Doctor and Freya, who had finally stopped crying. No doubt due to the exhaustion.

Kirk settled Jamaal onto what seemed to be the only remaining empty cot. Upon doing so, Jamaal immediately broke into a harsh, painful coughing fit, doubling over to the point where he nearly rolled off the dingy sleeping place.

"Alright, now." The Doctor sat down beside him, gripping his shoulders, waiting for the fit to end. Jamaal squeezed his eyes tightly shut and let out a cry of pain, clutching his chest as he continued to cough. "Get him some water!" The Doctor ordered, and Kirk hurried away.

Jamaal was left gasping for breath as he finally quit coughing, and the Doctor coaxed him to lay down. Jamaal complied without hesitation. Kirk arrived with a cup of water, the liquid spilling out as his hands shook in obvious fright for the boy. He put a hand under his head and eased the cup to his lips. Jamaal drank a couple of sips before coughing again, then going limp, exhaustion taking over.

"He'll sleep most of the time now." Kirk said quietly. "He's only got about a day left."

The Doctor turned to face him "Hold on a minute, a _day?_" He raised his eyebrows, then spun around to face Freya. "But you said they last 3 to 4 days."

"They do." Her sad eyes never left his.

"How long has he been sick?" He demanded with forced patience.

Freya didn't reply.

The Doctor clenched his fists. "HOW MANY?!"

"About two days." The words came out shakily, and once again, she began to weep.

"You're telling me..." The Doctor put his hands in his pockets to calm himself. "You're telling me, he was sick with a life threatening illness for _two days. _And you never did anything about it?"

Freya sat down, trembling as sobs wracked her body, on the cot next to her son. She rubbed at her temple with one hand, and the other loosely covered her mouth as her head hung low. "He's my only son..."

"Well then you should have done something about it! You're probably gonna lose him now, and you could have prevented it!" He grabbed her chin, lifting her head so that her eyes met his. "You cost your son his _life._"

"Sir," The Doctor felt Kirk's hand on his shoulder, easing him away from the dumbfounded mother.

"Just Doctor." He said gruffly.

"Doctor," Kirk corrected himself. "There's nothing she could have done. This plague is destroying the planet. No one has survived from it so far, at least, no children. A couple adults made it, but not without lon-lasting effects...Jamaal is going to die. All we can do is make him as comfortable as we can."

The Doctor was still searing with anger, but he said no more. Instead, he walked for the door.

"Where are you going?" Kirk shouted to him, his voice cracking from emotion.

The furious, determined Time Lord froze in his tracks. And turned his head, although his feet stayed in place. "I'm going to save these people. No matter what it takes, I will not rest until this plague has ended. I'm fulfilling a promise." He walked out the door, muttering one last, barely audible sentence.

"I'm being a doctor."

**A/N: Don't forget to review! I like reviews. Reviews are cool.**


	3. Disappearance

_Chapter 3_

"Are you sure about this?"

The Doctor still had not returned from the ill-ridden house. Rose stood just outside, face to face with the mysterious man in the lab coat, who later told her he was named Khanti, and the other one, who's name was Joel.

Khanti was a middle age scientist, who had the complete mad-scientist feel to him. Rose wasn't very eager to trust him, especially considered what he had asked her to do. But if it was going to save lives...she had to, right?

Joel was just a teenager. Maybe seventeen or eighteen. His presence made Rose a little bit more comfortable, despite Khanti's a-bit-too-anxious demeanor.

Khanti now stood with crossed arms, a tapping foot, and a piercing glare, awaiting Rose's reply.

"Yeah." Rose drew in a shaky breath and brought her eyes to his, flickering back and forth from Khanti to Joel. "I'll do it."

"Then come with us." Khanti said gruffly, while Joel gave her a relaxed, encouraging smile.

"Thank you." He whispered, and he was sincere.

Rose was starting to follow them when she heard the Doctor's booming voice coming nearer and nearer. He was still inside the house, and apparently a bit angry, but he was making his way outside.

"Wait. My friend's coming back. We have to do this later." She said hastily, starting to back away towards the door.

"But he can't get in the way of what has to be done!" Khanti hissed. "Your choices are not up to him."

"You're right. They're not. But I can guarantee you right now, there's no way he's gonna let me help you if he knows what its going to mean for me in the longrun. I'm willing to take the risk to save this people, but he won't be."

"Then we'll just have to take you by force." Khanti clenched his fists at his sides, causing Rose to flinch, but Joel shot him a warning glare.

"No." Joel's voice was firm and unwavering. "She has to do this in her own time, when _she _feels like the time is right. And if her boyfriend is as protective as it sounds, I don't think we should get in his wait."

"No...he's not-" Rose sighed. Oh well. "Nevermind." She jumped as she heard the sound of the door clicking open behind her. "Get out of here, now! I'll find you soon."

Joel ran off without hesitation, but Khanti spared just enough time to point a finger in her direction. "We're counting on you, Tyler. Don't let us down."

Rose didn't have time to reply as she heard the Doctor stepping aimlessly out of the house, not even sparing a glance at her as he started walking away.

"Oi, where're you going?" She raced after him, but the Doctor's stride never broke, and he never looked at her as they walked.

"Can you believe Freya? She's known for days that Jamaal was ill, and not once did she think to do anything about it. She could have prevented this early on if only she'd bloody _said _something! I don't _care _that everyone thinks this illness is terminal. I'm going to do something about it." He stuck his hands in his pockets and blew out a puff of air that filled up his cheeks. "I'm going to get some basic medication from the TARDIS. Maybe, just maybe, I can develop a basic enough cure that it won't drastically alter their timelines. Sure, they'll quite likely ask a few questions." He stopped walking, and scratched the back of his head in deep thought. "Well, more than likely. Gonna be a tricky one, this one. But I believe we can do it." He looked at Rose with a small smile, which soon faltered. "I'm glad you weren't in there, Rose. It probably would have upset you quite a bit. Your human minds are so delicate."

Rose laughed lightly, but a knowing thought twitched in her mind. "Yeah. Me too." She scanned her thoughts for some idea, some way to make it back to Joel and Khanti without raising suspicions. She had so little time...she had to do this. "Hey, I think I dropped my mobile back by the house." She made a show of searching her pockets for the device, even though she knew she left it in the TARDIS.

"Alright, then. Sure you had it with you?" The Doctor asked absentmindedly.

"Yeah. I er...called Mum while I was waiting for you. I'll just pop back for it and meet you at the TARDIS."

"Sure you can find your way back?" He called, already starting to walk away.

"Yeah. I'll see you in a mo!" Without another word, and a bit pleased with herself at her ease in fooling him, she hurried back to the village, immediately scanning the area for the men.

"Oi." She called softly. "You two still around?"

No reply.

"Khanti, Joel." Rose walked around a for several minutes before finding them seated in an abandoned shop. They were huddled around a small table, whispering inaudible things, before looking up as soon as she walked in. Khanti immediately stood up and started walking towards her. Rose's heart leaped as she noticed a syringe in his hand.

"What's that?" She asked warily, but her position never wavered. Whatever it was, she knew it was necessary.

"Its just to ensure we get done what needs to be done." Khanti said simply, grabbing her arm and causing her to flinch. "Hold still!" He ordered. Ignoring an irritated comment from Joel about Khanti's bedside manner, the scientist rubbed a small alcohol swab over Rose's arm before inserting the needle and the contents inside the syringe.

Rose winced slightly, but didn't move. Old memories from childhood doctor visits, and her huge fear of needles, came flooding back. But she was an adult now. What she was doing was going to save lives.

After a brief moment of explanation from Joel about what had been injected into her, the men began leading her back to the same house the Doctor had been in before. Once they reached the door, Joel stopped them.

"Sure you're ready?" He asked her softly.

Rose's only reply was a nod, as she tensed up, bracing herself, and opened the door.

* * *

By the time the Doctor made it back to the TARDIS, Rose was still out of viewing range. Brushing it off as an assumption that she was still looking for her phone, he continued to walk inside the his big blue box. He tossed his long coat on one of the beams and headed straight for the infirmary.

The Doctor sat down at a nice desk and pulled an old, dusty book from a shelf, covered in Gallifreyan lettering. After skimming through the pages momentarily, he tossed it aside and looked to his left.

"Activate medical voice interface - 4." He said aloud. A hologram representation of himself appeared in the middle of the room.

"Medical voice interface - 4 activated." It said, with the Doctor's voice, but a robotic tone.

"Tell me everything you know about D-S14."

"Delta Strain 14 is an uncommon disease that dwells on the planet Delta 6.7. It was originated from a man in the early 27th Century, who had a massive exposure to alien radiation on an unknown planet. He returned with the illness, exposing it to his family, and later his entire village.  
The village was put on quarantine until the disease died out. It went on to kill all of its victims. After that, it was supposedly gone for good, but scans show a recent outbreak has returned."

"Yeah, I kinda knew that part." The Doctor said with mild annoyance. "Go on. Tell me more about the disease itself."

"It usually is only caught by children, teens, or young adults. Delta Strain 14 begins as cold-like symptoms, to put it in Earth terms. During Stage One, it is usually brushed off by parents or guardians as a simple virus that will soon clear itself up, only they're wrong. The light cough, low grade fever, bruise-like rash on the forehead, and mild headaches soon turn to Stage Two; bronchitis-like symptoms, high fever, and searing migraines."

"Is there a third stage?" He asked quietly.

"Stage Three brings uncontrollable coughing and chest pains, fever high enough to cause seizures, although the migraines stay the same."

"What does the victim personally feel during this time?"

"During stage one, he or she will experience a good deal of discomfort, but not bad enough to become bed-ridden. Stage Two will bring a bit of pain, bad enough that the victim will prefer to stay rested. Stage Three will bring incoherence, cause him or her to become very disoriented and confused, and will soon end up in death."

The Doctor ran a hand absentmindedly through his hair and let out a deep breath. "Is there a cure?"

"There is no cure."

"There has to be some kind of cure." He said angrily.

"There is no cure."

"After hundreds of years, not ONE person has come up with some kind of cure?!"

"There is no cure."

"Oh, shut up." He huffed, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet on the desk. "What about 'why'? Can you tell me why there is no cure?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes I can tell you."

"Then tell me!"

"To enable recovery, a vaccine must be produced from the the antigens in one's blood, who's body has run the course of the disease and come through without lingering effects."

"And since no one has been able to survive the illness, the vaccine can't be created." The Doctor mused with an understanding nod. "Tell me the difference between the people of Delta 6.7 and the Time Lords, and humans."

"The people of Delta 6.7 have no antibodies, and are therefore unable to successfully recover from the disease. They have no ability to fight viruses. This is why the planet's population is so low."

"That makes sense now." The Doctor nodded slightly. "So if I contracted the disease, then the vaccine would be able to be produced from my blood." He stood up with a victorious grin. "Then that's what I'll do."

"There is no guarantee that you will survive. Good luck." The interface said before finally vanishing.

The Doctor, unwavered by the comment, strolled back into the console room. Only then did he realize that Rose still had not returned.

He rubbed the back of his neck in thought. _She probably just got turned around, or she's still looking for her mobile, _the optimistic part of his brain told him. He shrugged and started for the doors.

Before opening them, he saw Rose's coat laying on the floor to his left. Muttering something about humans and their messy selves, he picked it up and slung it over the beam, where his own jacket was resting. He once again ceased to open the doors as he heard something hit the floor where the jacket was, and went to investigate.

It was Rose's phone.

Finally, his pessimistic side took over. Something was wrong.

**A/N: Keep the reviews coming!**


	4. Despair

**A/N: Thank's so much for the fantastic reviews! Here's chapter 4.**

_Chapter 4_

The Doctor stormed out of the TARDIS, running a hand through his hair anxiously. Upon first glance at the terrain in front of him, there was no sign of his companion. Where could she have gone? Rose had lied to him. She knew she'd left her mobile back in the TARDIS, so what were her intentions for returning to the little town? And why was it something she had to lie about?

He considered organizing a search party. Perhaps from one of the closer towns. A large amount of people would drastically increase his chances of finding her...

But he decided against it. Chances are, Rose was back in the sicktown. God knows what she was doing...the Doctor hoped with everything in him that she at least had the sense not to enter the house of the victim's inhibited with D-S14. If he were honest with himself, he wouldn't be surprised if his companion had ignored his better judgment, and chosen to enter the house, which would immediately put her in danger, and offer her services in caring for the patients.

It was a conflicting character trait. Rose's heart to help had saved so many lives. She was always there for those who needed her, no matter what the personal consequences her, which was one of the many things the Doctor admired so much about her. But this trait was also a flaw. If his suspicions were correct, then she'd gone too far.

The Doctor leaned against the side of the TARDIS briefly, regathering himself, then set off. He had to find her.

Thirty minutes of walking had done the Doctor no good, besides bringing him closer to his destination. Rose had been no where to be seen, which wasn't a surprise. His suspicions were turning in to expectations.

When he finally arrived at the town, he was reluctant to enter the house. Reluctant to face what he assumed he would. But he had to go in. He had to find her. Without another thought, he turned the door handle and swung it open, stepping inside.

What he was faced with upon entering was no surprise, but it didn't make him any less furious.

Rose stood in the middle of the room full of deathly-ill victims, walking about as if it were no big deal. She held young, weeping boy in her arms, bouncing him lightly on her hip in comfort while she simultaneously wiped the sweaty brow of a teenage girl with a cooling cloth. A young man walked up and put a hand on her shoulder, muttering something the Doctor couldn't catch, earning a smile and a nod from Rose before walking away. The Doctor saw the boy in her arms point to something, another young girl who was laying on a cot, and Rose walked over to her, lowering the boy to the ground who ran up to the girl. He reached out to hold her hand, but earned a warning command from Rose, and backed away with a crestfallen sigh. Rose ruffled his hair a bit with a smile before walking away in the Doctor's direction. When her eyes met his she froze, not daring to move as his angry eyes burned into her as he walked closer.

"Rose Tyler...what have you done?"

* * *

Rose was sure her heart had stopped as she saw the Doctor standing there. She knew he'd find her, but she at least hoped she'd have more time to come up with some kind of excuse first. She dreaded to tell him the truth. She braced herself, half-expecting him to start yelling at her for making such a 'stupid ape' decision, but was instead taken aback when he walked up in three long strides and enveloped her in a hug. Hugging her as if he never wanted to let her go. A tight, warm embrace. Rose wasn't complaining.

"Rose..." He pulled back slightly, looking at her with eyes full of slight anger, but mostly concern and fear. "What are you doing?"

"Helping." She said simply.

"Rose..." He took a step back and ran a hand through his hair. "Rose, they've got plenty of people helping in here. I know you were just trying to be useful, but they're fine on their own...and now you've been exposed to this." He swept a hand across the room, gesturing to the many victims. "You look fine." He pressed his palm to her forehead. "Afebrile." He mused, dropping his hand. "Maybe you don't have it yet." He looked in each of her eyes, ignoring her words of protest. When he reached for her wrist to check her pulse, she took a step back.

"Doctor." Rose said firmly. "I don't have it."

"I know." He sighed with relief. "You don't."

"But I will." And with that she walked away.

The Doctor eyes widened slightly in confusion and she raced after her. "Not if I get you out of here! But we need to go now." When she didn't reply, his voice hardened. "_Right now, _Rose."

"No." She walked back over to the boy she'd been holding before, who smiled in greeting when he saw her and lifted his arms up, asking to be held. Rose happily complied.

"Rose." She had her back turned to him, and he walked around so that he could face her. "I need to get you back to the TARDIS and treat you to ensure you don't get it. You don't need to help these people. They have people taking care of them, and I figured out a cure."

_So did I. _Rose thought to herself.

When she didn't reply, the Doctor went on. "I found out that the difference between the people of this planet, and people like you and I, are their lack of antibodies in their blood, which is-"

"-What enables people to fight off illness. I know." She said distractedly, kneeling next to the little girl that the boy had been with, brushing her brown hair out of her eyes gently and calling for a man across the room. "Kaya's got the rash." She said to him, regret in her tone, as the man walked up and began tending to the girl and shooing Rose away. Rose then stood up, still holding the boy, and strolled casually past the Doctor to tend to another patient.

"Rose, stop." He reached out to grab her shoulder and spun her around gently. "Talk to me for a minute."

"Why, Doctor? You're not gonna change my mind." She told him.

"Change your mind about what? And how do you know what antibodies are?"

"Khanti and Joel told me." She pointed to two men talking in the far corner of the room, one of them in a lab coat, and one of them the teenager the Doctor had seen Rose talking to before.

The Doctor shook his head. "Rose, its almost as if you're trying to get sick. Come with me to the TARDIS so that I can treat you." There was no question in his tone. It was a command.

"I am." Rose looked up at him defiantly.

"You're what?"

"I _am _trying to get sick."

"Why the _hell _would...oh." He'd been a git. A bloody git. He put a hand over his eyes in frustration. "No. No, no, no. Rose, you can't just do this...do you-"

"Yes. I know exactly what I'm doing. These people are unable to naturally fight off illness, because they have no antibodies. That's what differentiates them from humans. If I get sick, and recover, an antidote can be made from my blood and save them." She said sternly. "It's the only way."

"No, its not the only way. _I _was going to do that. It's my job to care for these people. Not yours. You can't just risk your own life for people like that!"

"I can, and I already have. I did what needed to be done, Doctor, and I'm even happier now that I did, knowing that its what you were planning on doing. I'd rather _me _be on the sick end. Not you..." For the first time today, she showed a flicker of emotion in her eyes. "I wouldn't be able to bear seeing you that way."

"What about me, then? Now I'm going to have to see _you _like that. Rose..." He closed his eyes briefly. "I just don't want you to be in pain."

She smiled softly. "I know. But I need to do this. And if something goes wrong, you've got stuff in the TARDIS that will fix me right up. Right?"

The Doctor nodded slowly. "I don't want it to come to that, though. If I for one minute think that you're in any kind of danger, we're going straight back to the TARDIS. No matter what."

"But Doctor, if I don't get through this on my own, the antidote won't work. You can't give me any other kind of medication." She told him.

"Those men really educated on this didn't they?" He said, then lowered his head briefly. "Rose, I hope I won't have to force you, but you come first. If you are in danger, antidote or no antidote, I'm taking you to the TARDIS so I can treat you...but I really hope it doesn't come to that. All right?"

Rose knew that this was going to be the only way to put his mind at rest, and make him at least slightly okay with what she was doing, was to assure him that she'd allow him to take care of her if things went wrong. "All right." She smiled.

"I can't believe I'm letting you do this...Jackie's gonna kill me." He laughed lightly, although there were no traces of amusement in his voice. "At least you'll have a fantastic doctor to take care of you." He finally smiled.

"Definitely." She wrapped him in a brief hug. "Thank you, Doctor."

"I just hope it won't be for nothing." He whispered, kissing the top of her head softly.

"Don't worry. It'll be worth it."


	5. Proud

**A/N: So I ran out of ideas for witty chapter titles that start with D, so I'm breaking the streak. *puts on sunglasses* Deal with it.**

_Chapter 5_

The Doctor sat on one of the small cots, hovering over and tending to Jamaal, who was well into stage two of the illness.

The boy was on his way to developing the worst of the symptoms that came along with D-S14. The small bruise-resembling rash had appeared just to the left of his right temple, and was causing a significant amount of pain and adding to the already building headaches. Jamaal lay with eyes squeezed shut in pain, and palms grinding over his face in desperate attempt for some kind of relief.

The Doctor stroked his dark hair gently, trying to calm him. "Jamaal," He said quietly, his other had gripping his shoulder. "Jamaal I need you to calm down for a mo. I can't help you while you're thrashing about."

"Hurts..." He complained, tears seeping through his closed eyes, but he finally lowered his trembling hands to his sides.

"I know. This'll help." He promised, untwisting the cap on a small container, and dipped two fingers inside. He then rubbed the balm he'd created soothingly over Jamaal's forehead, smiling as he saw his pain-contorted face finally begin to relax. "Atta boy."

The people had been so grateful for his help when he offered it, accepting and believing his credentials via psychic paper without a second glance. He'd provided a good deal of help in the time he'd been there, and was very pleased with the comfort he'd provided several victims.

It had been two hours since the Doctor had found Rose helping out in the sickhouse, working relentlessly. Even after their heartfelt conversation, he'd tried to convince her to allow him to take her back to the TARDIS once more. Only then did she inform him that the men she had been with, Khanti and Joel apparently, had injected her with something that had weakened her immune system, guaranteeing that at this point, there was no turning back.

A small flicker of anger lived on inside him, but he was mostly concerned. He had no doubt that if something went wrong, he'd be able to take her right back to the TARDIS and treat her with no problem. Just a quick visit to the infirmary and a good few hours of sleep would fix her right up. Easy as that. No long lasting issues, no continuing discomfort, end of of problem. But for her condition to end up that bad would be she would be in a huge deal of pain. Plus, if she didn't overcome the illness on her own, with no help from the TARDIS or any other kind of medication, her efforts would have been for nothing. The antidote would not be able to be successfully created.

"How is he?" A voice interrupted his thoughts, and the Doctor looked over his shoulder to see Kirk looming over him and Jamaal, his face contorted in worry. The Doctor stood up and backed away slightly, allowing the man easier access to the boy.

"About the same." The Doctor said regretfully. "He's approaching the third stage."

Kirk placed himself on the cot, stroking Jamaal's hair affectionately, earning nothing but a groan in reply. "Doctor, there's something I haven't told you. Its even more imperative now that you make sure Jamaal's okay." He whispered, turning his head to look at the Time Lord. "Jamaal's my son."

A grin of amusement crept across his face. "Yes, I'm quite aware."

"Oh, Freya must have told you." Kirk shook his head.

"Actually, she didn't say anything." The Doctor told him. "It's just a bit obvious, really. The hair was the main giveaway. But your eyes.." His gave flickered from Kirk, to Jamaal, and back. "You two couldn't be more related."

The corner of Kirk's lip twitched a bit in an attempted smile. "Speaking of Freya," He looked around the room briefly. "Where is she?"

"Home." The Doctor replied. "She was upsetting Jamaal. I know its out of concern, but quite frankly, she can be a bit of annoying." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Was he being rude again?

Kirk just nodded distractedly. "I can look after him now." He said, referring to Jamaal. "Go look after that friend of yours. What she's doing...its amazing, Doctor." He did smile this time. "You're a lucky man."

The Doctor simply smiled, and gave a nod of thanks before scanning the room until his eyes fell upon Rose.

In the short time he'd been there, the Doctor had kept a close eye on his companion, who had still been working hard without showing any symptoms. She currently sat in a chair in the far corner of the room, bouncing the young boy she'd been with earlier in her lap, finally stopping for a break it seemed. The Doctor let out a small breath of relief, thankful that she at least had the sense to look after herself in the midst of everything. She was smiling and rocking the toddler back and forth, whispering something to him the Doctor didn't catch. The child didn't reply, but a small smile appeared on his face.

The Doctor walked over to her, dodging cots and stepping over supplies in the process. He removed his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair along the wall, and untucked his shirt from his trousers, making him much more comfortable.

Rose looked up at him and smiled brightly as she saw him approaching. "Hey."

"How you feeling?" He asked tentatively, pulling a chair up next to her and sitting down.

"Fine." She assured him honestly. "Not feeling any of the affects yet. Khanti said I probably won't tell later today."

The Doctor nodded. "Its gonna start out pretty slow. But I want to know the _moment _you start feeling just _slightly _off. All right?"

"All right." She said. The boy in her lap pointed to the Doctor, and looked up at Rose with raised eyebrows.

"That's the Doctor." She told him . "He's my friend."

"Who are you then?" The Doctor said in a sing-song voice, lowering himself a bit so that he was eye level with the toddler.

He smiled shyly and turned to Rose, burying his face in her chest and wrapping an arm around her.

Rose laughed. "Hey, 's all right." She looked up at the Doctor. "He's a bit shy. Doesn't even talk." She looked back at the boy a bit sadly, but a smile was the only thing showing on her face.

"What's his name?" The Doctor asked curiously, smile never wavering.

"Xander." She replied, then pointed to a little girl a few cots away. "Kaya over there is his sister...Just entered stage two. She's only 7." She looked back down at Xander. "And this little guy's only 4."

"What's he doing here?" The Doctor asked confusedly, eyes scanning the boy briefly. "Doesn't seem like he's sick."

"He's not." She sighed. "He won't leave his sister...and the only reason we haven't made him leave is because Kaya's begging for him to stay as well."

"Rose...if he stays here he's gonna get sick."

"I've been looking after him." She assured him. "Been making sure he doesn't touch any of them...but I'm not optimistic enough to believe he won't eventually."

"You're sick." The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "And you're touching him."

"First of all, I'm not sick yet." Rose glared at him. "And second of all, Khanti said I won't really be contagious until a while after stage one starts. So Xander's good for now."

The Doctor noticed the toddler's little eyelids beginning to lower, and his mouth stretch in a yawn. "Someone looks sleepy."

"He's not the only one." Rose's yawn mimicked Xander's, and she rested her head against the back of the chair sleepily.

"Rose, you should get some sleep. Get your strength up for when it all starts." He said with a professional tone.

"I don't want to sleep when there's plenty that I can be doing around here." There was nothing but determination in her voice. "I'll be getting _more_ than enough rest when it starts. I'm sure." She smiled halfheartedly.

"Fair enough." The Doctor lifted a hand to cup her cheek, equally in a show of affection as it was to check her temperature. "Have I told you how proud I am of you?"

"It wouldn't kill you to say it more." She joked, closing her eyes briefly and leaning into his touch.

"I'm serious, though. The way you just...took control. You didn't care about the consequences. You didn't care that you...you didn't care about how you personally were going to feel. You just care so much for these children." He smiled warmly, and Rose just blinked and returned his smile in reply.

"You're a brilliant thing, you are, Rose Tyler." And after one more admiring stare, he dropped his hand and walking away, leaving Rose beaming with happiness.

**A/N: Those reviews make my day!**


	6. Promise

**A/N: Sorry I didn't update yesterday. My laptop died along with an unsaved chapter.**

**So, Sunday I'm leaving to go on a week long camp, and won't be back till the following Saturday. During that time, I'll still be writing, but unless they have wifi on a horse farm I'm not gonna be able to update for a while :P I'll have a lot to post when I get back though. ^.^**

**In related news, I ordered the 10th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver universal remote :3 -excitement-**

According to his watch it was exactly 6:42 p.m. on Delta 6.7. The Doctor worked feverishly as he cared for the many children inhibited with D-S14. Hurrying back and forth from victim to victim, child to teenager, stage one patient to stage three patient, and from all of them to Rose.

So far, most of the children still were in either the later half of stage one, or the beginnings of stage two. They still had a few days, for which time the Doctor was grateful for. But not all the children were this fortunate.

The Doctor watched sadly as two heartbroken parents knelt next to their three year old daughter, desperate for any sign that she was still with them even though they knew she'd already slipped away. The mother held her little hand, squeezing it gently, then weeped as she recieved no response. The father wrapped his arms around his bawling wife, holding her close as they mourned. The father scooped his daughter into his arms, kissing the forehead of her limp form, then they walked out without another word to anyone.

Twin teenage boys were also facing their last hours. Both having entered stage three, and one of them having had two seizures due to a climbing temperature of 104 degrees, nagged at the Doctor's hearts as he fought to keep them as comfortable as possible...but he didn't think it was doing much good.

Kaya, Xander's sister, and Jamaal, were both nearing the end of stage two. Once they entered stage three, there wouldn't be much time left.

And then there was Rose. She still hadn't begun developing any signs of the illness yet. She sat on the opposite side of the room, once again sitting with Xander in her lap while tending softly to his sister. She rubbed a cool cloth over the girl's forehead, muttering soothing words as the 7 year old fought to win her battle.

For the millionth time today, the Doctor once again second guessed himself. It wasn't too late to take Rose back to the TARDIS, and rid her of this horrid disease before it started. He could then give himself the illness, and create the antidote from _his _blood. So why hadn't he done that already?

But the Doctor knew. Even if he injected a sample of D-S14 into his bloodstream, it would still be at least morning before he began developing the symptoms, then it would be another 3 or so days before he overcame it and was able to deliver the antidote.

Rose however, technically already had the disease. She would not begin developing symptoms, nor would she be contagious for a little while yet, but she still would get through it quicker than the Doctor, meaning they would be able to save more lives.

The way things were looking, unless they only wanted to save two or so children, Rose was their only option.

* * *

"Xander, you can't touch her." Rose said firmly for what seemed to be the thousandth time. The little boy frowned and dropped his hand from where it had been hovering above his sister. His crestfallen face lowered and he sagged against Rose in a sort of pout.

Rose laughed a bit and ran a hand through his hair affectionately, then gently lowered him to the ground. "Why don't you go get Kaya some water from the kitchen, yeah? I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

Xander nodded vigorously and a small smile appeared on his face, right before he sped off.

Rose had been trying to make the boy feel as useful as possible while she'd been looking after him. Even though he didn't talk, she knew from the way he acted that he wanted nothing more than to be able to comfort his big sister. Whether it was hugging her, holding her hand, or just being able to touch her, it seemed to be all he wanted to do. And whilst Rose wouldn't allow him to do that, and thankfully she'd succeeded so far, she busied him with simple chores that would make him feel like he was helping. And it seemed to raise his spirits just a tiny bit.

He appeared with two cups of water, walking slowly and tentatively in hopes of keeping the little bit of water from splashing out onto the floor. He placed one in Rose's hand, then went over to his sister. He emitted a small hum in hopes of waking her, and she did, but just barely. He raised the cup to Kaya's lips, and she parted them in acceptance. Xander's little hands trembled as he fought to still the cup as he gently poured the water into her mouth.

Rose gaped at him slightly in admirance. Three years old. This little boy was three years old, just a toddler, and had a such a huge love for his sister that he was working at level of a full-on adult.

He then turned to Rose, who smiled in thanks for the water given to her, and grabbed her shoulder to haul himself back into her lap.

As Rose began to sip her beverage, she felt a cool hand resting against her cheek. She looked up and saw the Doctor standing next to her, running his hand gently along the side of her face as he felt for a temperature.

"Still about 98." He mused, lowering his hand and pulling up a chair to sit in front of her. "Still feeling okay?"

"Yes." She said with a small smile, a bit touched by his constant concern. "What about you? How you holdin' up?"

"Oh, bit tired." He sniffed and ran a hand through his hair. "But that's simply due to the fact that I've not slept in over a week."

"You haven't slept in a _week_?"

"Time Lord me." He lifted his chin and straightened his tie proudly. "Not weak enough to need sleep as often as you humans do."

"Hey, well this weak human is riskin' her life over here to save a bunch of kids, so that's enough of that." She said in a light, teasing voice, but instantly regretted her words as the Doctor's face fell.

"Yeah." He lowered his head and closed his eyes briefly before looking back up at her, then his gaze flickered to Xander. "So where are his parents?" He said lightly, obviously wanting to change the subject before it even truly started.

"I have no idea." Rose sighed, looking down at the child who simply stared off into space. "No one around here seems to know them, and no one has come looking for them. I think they're probably orphaned. And homeless."

The Doctor gave a small hum of agreement. "Can you tell us, Xander?" He said in a soft, slightly sympathetic tone. "Where're your mum and dad?"

Xander's gaze remained fixed dully on the wall. He made no sign to indicate he even heard the Doctor's words.

"He never talks." Rose reminded the Doctor. "He seems to get even sadder when I ask him about his parents."

"Have you asked Kaya?"

"She's not talked since she entered stage two. Its probably too painful." She looked at the ill little girl with pity.

"Suppose you're right." The Doctor said. "I'll promise you one thing, though. We'll make sure these two have a great home before we leave in a few days." He smiled down at Xander, still indirectly talking to Rose. "A fantastic home."

Finally, Xander returned his gaze and smiled. Such a small, frail smile, but his eyes betrayed his excitement and happiness.

Rose gave him a small hug in confirmation, and Xander wholeheartedly returned it.


	7. Magnificent

**A/N: Little sister made me watch Doomsday again with her...I should have said no. *cries bc rose***

**So you know that camp I mentioned I'll be at all next week? Well I have a cold now, so there's a possibility of me not going. I can't tell whether I'm happy or sad. It sucks that I'm sick...but...it may be good news because...**

**I don't want to go.**

It was just after 6 o'clock p.m. when Rose finally began to start feeling off. She'd just departed to the kitchen to fetch more water for Kaya when she suddenly felt a slight wave of dizziness coming on. She stood in front of the sink, half-filled cup on one hand and the other supporting her weight against the counter-top. She shook her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds, then breathed a sigh of relief as the wave passed. Rose lifted her head and looked around for a brief moment, making sure no one had been watching during those mere seconds, then refilled the cup and left the kitchen.

When she arrived back at Kaya's cot, the little girl was shivering. Her fever had spiked, leaving her hot and sweaty yet cold and chilled. She subconsciously grabbed her blanket and lifted it to her chin, wincing in pain at the small movement.

Rose cringed in sympathy and stroked the girl's hair softly. Xander sat next to her, watching his sister helplessly with an emotionless expression, but his eyes betrayed his concern and love. Rose reached out to put her arm around him in a comforting manner, but quickly withdrew. Even the slightest bout of dizziness showed the beginning stages of D-S14, which meant by now she was contagious.

She looked across the room to see the Doctor tending to the twins, Alec and Tenzin, who were in the most danger out of all the children. Now in the later part of stage three, they would likely be dead tomorrow.

She couldn't tell what the Doctor was saying, but knew he was speaking softly and encouragingly to the boys as he tended to them. Rose opened her mouth, then soon closed it again. She decided against telling the Doctor how she was feeling, despite her earlier promise. He was busy enough as it was. Besides, it was just a dizzy spell. If the Doctor knew she was even feeling _slightly _unwell, she knew he would insist on her resting. But she felt plenty good enough to be able to help out as much as she could for a little while longer.

"Rose," Joel called from a couple rows of cots away. "Could you bring Rae some water please? I don't want to leave her right now." Little Rae was 10 years old, and luckily just in the beginnings of stage two.

Rose was happy to comply. But as she stood up, the dizziness came back. She shook her head in another attempt to clear it, but this did nothing but provide her with a nagging headache.

This was coming on fast now that it had started.

* * *

The Doctor muttered a few parting words to the twins before beginning to make his way back over to Jamaal. Along the way, he heard the tapping of tiny footsteps behind him and felt a tug on his trousers. He looked down to see Xander looking up at him with slightly widened eyes, pulling on his jacket and trousers until he got his attention.

"Hey there, Xander." The Doctor smiled in greeting, then tilted his head. "What's the matter?"

Xander turned his head and pointed to something on the other side of the room. The Doctor followed his gaze, which was pointed directly at Rose. She was leaning against the wall, right under one of the large windows, holding on to the sill with one hand while the other held a cup of water. Her glazed eyes were fixed on the floor as she seemed to be trying to regain her footing. She quickly regained her composure and started walking again, only to have to lean up against the wall again after only a couple of steps.

The Doctor hurried across the room, eyeing Rose all the way. She seemed to notice him walking towards her and immediately perked up, straightening herself and taking a few bold steps toward her destination. The Doctor didn't fail to notice one hand still gliding across the wall, supporting her. She delivered the water to an awaiting Joel, then leaned back against the wall casually. "How're thing's goin'?" She asked coolly, addressing the Doctor.

"Rose, you told me you'd let me know when you started feeling poorly." The Doctor scolded gently. He stood in front of her, sticking one hand in his pocket, and lifting the other to her forehead, but she batted it away before he could.

"I feel fine, Doctor." Rose insisted, grabbing his hand and lowering it back to his side. "Honestly."

"You're a horrible liar." He said amusedly, lifting his hand again, only for her to swipe it away again. "Rose, let me." He said firmly, pressing his palm to her forehead as she reluctantly complied. He then moved the back of his hand up and down her cheek and smiled regretfully, then sighed. "Its starting."

"I'm fine." She repeated, but made no effort to remove his hand from where it rested against her cheek. To be honest, the coolness of his skin felt quite good against her slightly flushed face.

He ignored her insistence. "How do you feel?" She was obviously trying hard not to show any sign of weakness. Any sign she regretted her decision. But the Doctor still wished she could be honest with him. "And don't say you're fine."

"I-" Rose blinked and lowered her head for a brief moment. "Bit of a headache." She admitted.

"Anything else?"

She shook her head, only to regret it with a wince. "Might be a little dizzy."

He nodded. "Right then!" Only then did the Doctor drop his hand, grasping hers, and his smile widened. "Off to bed with you."

"Off to cot more like it." Rose eyed the uncomfortable sleeping places that littered the room.

"Well, luckily you've got a friend like me to take it upon myself to make a nice little sleeping place for you. Well..." He trailed off and scratched the back of his head. "_Nice_ may be a slight overstatement."

Rose smiled a bit and took a step away from the wall that had been supporting her, gratefully accepting the Doctor's firm handhold as they began walking to the far corner of the room.

Joel looked up from his place next to Rae as the Doctor and Rose walked by. He looked at the Doctor with a questioning expression, who only nodded in reply. Joel lowered his head in appreciation and respect for the young woman who was risking so much to save so many.

The journey of only a few steps seemed much further to Rose. She was leaning on the Doctor quite heavily now, and he wrapped an arm around her waist in support as they made their way to their destination.

Rose smiled at what greeted her. The Doctor had prepared a special little corner for her. A larger, slightly comfortable-looking cot sat against the wall, covered with white sheets and her favorite blanket from her bedroom on the TARDIS, as well as her pillow. A chair rested next to it, obviously for the Doctor, who apparently planned to sit with her at least part of the time of the uncomfortable illness.

"Oh, this is wonderful." She mused quietly, her voice suddenly feeling slightly hoarse as she let out a ragged cough. The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder and gently guided her to the cot, coaxing her to lay down.

She complied without question, looking up at him as she did. "Look after Xander, will you? Make sure he..." Her mouth stretched wide in a yawn. "Make sure he doesn't touch Kaya."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of him." The Doctor put a hand under her head and lowered it to the pillow, then tucked the blankets around her up to her chin. Rose's eyelids fluttered closed, quickly overwhelmed by exhaustion. The Doctor rested his palm against her cheek. She already had a fever of 100.3 degrees. Her temperature had gone up quickly over just the past hour. The Doctor feared how much higher it would go over the next three days.

He gently ran his thumb across her forehead. "You truly are a magnificent thing, Rose Tyler." He leaned in and kissed her forehead lightly, before sitting himself at her bedside, planning to stay there for as long as she needed him.

**A/N: Spare a review or two for a poor, sick fangirl? *coughs and groans dramatically***


	8. Dismay

**A/N: Well, I obviously ended up going to camp...was sick all week. Now I'm in bed with a sinus infection. Yay!..**

**Super short chapter. Sorry.**

The Doctor's eyes shot open and he bolted upright with a gasp. He tensely looked around him, for a brief moment dazed, and ignorant to his whereabouts. Then as soon as his eyes fell upon Rose, who was sleeping soundly, he relaxed.

His eyes fell upon his watch. It was just after 5 a.m. Had he seriously fallen asleep? Being a Time Lord he didn't near near as much sleep as humans, then again he hadn't slept in several days. He was due.

The Doctor stretched a bit and ran a hand through his hair, returning it with ease to its normal sticky-upy nature. He straightened his tie and rolled up his sleeves, catching a glance of his reflection in the window, and winking.

The entire house was quiet. His gaze swept around the room, stopping briefly to rest on every still form that lay in the room. Patients and helpers alike were equally exhausted from days of discomfort or hard work. He was thankful everyone seemed to be resting, most of them at least semi-soundly.

Then his gaze was fixed on Rose. She had apparently had a rough night. Her slightly pallid face glistened under the lamp light, revealing the beads of sweat on her forehead. Her face was contorted in pain, no doubt due to the nagging headache that the Doctor knew was bothering her a great deal. He gently brushed her blonde hair out of her eyes, letting his fingers linger on her forehead for a couple extra seconds. Her fever was higher. That was for sure.

The Doctor found this both good and bad. Of course, it meant Rose was being sucked into the illness at a fast pace. Her discomfort would grow much quicker, leaving her in pain without time to adjust. But, this also meant the progression of the illness was going by quickly. He predicted that she'd be recovered enough within two days for the antidote to be able to be made.

As soon as he dropped his hand Rose's breathing hitched and she opened her eyes, drawing in a slow breath. She squinted through the strands of sweaty hair dangling in front of her eyes, lifting her head and propping herself up on one elbow to look around. "Wha' happened?"

"Shh, Rose, go back to sleep." He whispered, running a hand through her hair soothingly. "Rest is the best thing for you right now, and its still early. Get a couple more hours then we'll talk, yeah?"

She didn't reply, only hearing half his words, but seemed to understand. She let her eyelids flutter closed and laid her head back down on her soft pillow, coaxed back into oblivion by the Doctor's presence.

Rose's slowed respiration told the Doctor she was asleep, and he stood up quietly. Not only did he need to make his rounds, but he needed to find and check on Xander. He wouldn't fail in his promise to Rose to look after the child she'd befriended.

He found the boy where he'd expected to; at Kaya's side. To the Doctor's slight surprise, Xander still was managing to refrain from making direct contact with his sister. He'd settled for sitting on a small pillow that he'd pulled up next to the cot, and resting his head near Kaya's hand. His eyes were closed, and the Doctor could tell he was asleep. With a few short strides, he made his way over to the siblings, sparing a brief moment to feel Kaya's cheek, informing himself of her worsening condition.

"Xander," The Doctor whispered, crouching next to him. Even though The child wasn't making direct contact with his sister, he was close. And just the briefest, slightest touch could infect him.

Xander stirred and his eyes opened suddenly and he sat up straight, looking at the Doctor with wide eyes.

"It's alright there, lad." He coaxed. "Think you could do me a favor?"

He nodded, looking nearly fully awake already.

"Rose over there," The Doctor shifted around so that Rose was in visual range of Xander. "Will be wakin' up soon. I'm just gonna check on everyone for a mo, but I don't wanna leave her alone. Would you go sit with her for me until I'm done?"

Xander nodded without hesitation dashing away to the far corner of the room where Rose was resting. He sat himself next to the cot, staring at her as if expecting her to wake up right then and there. To the Doctor's surprise, she did. He could see Rose's eyes immediately light up at the sight of the boy, and a small smile even appeared across Xander's little tan, dirt-streaked face.

The Doctor watched them for a few moments more before beginning his rounds, starting with Kaya. It only took a brief examination to show that she was in the beginnings of stage three. With a fever of 104, it was only a matter of time before her frail body would not be able to cope with the disease any longer.

She emitted a small groan as the Doctor examined the rash on her forehead, under her ragged brunette bangs. The lightest touch was obviously discomforting for her, so he lifted his hand, muttering a few soothing words, and walked away.

After perhaps an hour of intent, patient care of the many victims, the Doctor wiped a hand across his brow with a sigh of exhaustion. Now that they had been taken care of, he had his most valued patient to attend to.

But as he started in her direction, he froze to the spot.

Curled up on the cot next to Rose was a coughing, sweaty Xander.


	9. Comfort

**A/N: Ack...taking longer and longer for me to update. My parents want me to write a fic specifically for them to read - even though when I mention anything Doctor Who related any other time they wanna whack me with a frying pan - so that's taking up some of my time.**

_Chapter 9_

"No. No, no, no!" The Doctor charged across the room, eyes boring down on the small boy asleep in Rose's arms, who was still sound asleep herself.

At the sound of his voice Xander's eyes shot open. He looked up at the Doctor with an apologetic stare as he was seized by the arm and pulled roughly off the cot.

"What do you think you're doing?" The Doctor steadied him as he began to fall over from the Time Lord's rough hands gripping him. "Xander, Rose told you that you weren't supposed to touch any of the sick children...and that included her!"

Xander lowered his head, and it wasn't a surprise to the Doctor when he didn't say anything.

"Why were you sitting with her?"

At that moment Rose started coughing harshly, holding a fist in front of her mouth as she continued to suffer, even through unconsciousness. Then Xander pointed to Rose, raising his eyebrows in hopes that the Doctor would understand. He'd just been trying to make her feel better.

"Xander..." The Doctor knelt down and dropped his hands. "Xander...you do realize that you're sick now...right?"

He nodded, but didn't seem to care. He pointed to his sister, and a couple other children, then looked back at the Doctor.

"Yes, I know they're sick too, but..."

The boy then pointed to Rose with a small smile.

"Yes. She's going to save them, I know." The Doctor sighed. "She's going to save everyone."

Finally, Xander pointed to himself.

"Yes. She'll save you too."

He simply nodded then dashed off in the direction of his sister, grabbing her hand tight with a happy grin, doing what he'd been wanting to do for so long now.

The Doctor watched him for a moment, stood up, and ran a hand through his hair, looking back and forth from him to Rose. He'd failed her. He'd promised that he'd watch out for the little boy she'd befriended...and now the child was going to suffer along with everyone else.

Now that he thought about it, it probably would have happened soon anyways. It may have actually already happened. It must have taken a lot of willpower for Xander not to have even slightly touched his sister all this time.

"Doctor?" Rose's hoarse voice broke into his thoughts, and he spun around to see her sitting up in bed, arms gripping the front of the cot on either side of her tightly as she stared wide eyed across the room, watching in anguish at the sight of Xander making contact with his sister. "You promised me..."

"Rose...Rose I am so sorry." He went and crouched in front of her, putting one hand on her knee. "I'm so sorry."

"You promised me..." Her voice shook. "You told me you'd look after him...Now he's gonna get sick...he's gonna...suffer."

"Rose, look at me." The Doctor said with a soft, apologetic voice. She complied, slowly bringing her gaze to his. "Rose, when I came back from my rounds he was sitting with you...I asked him to but not to actually touch you...I..." He closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head. "Rose, I'm so sorry."

"Look at 'im." She turned her head to Xander's direction once again. "He's so young."

"Rose, he's gonna be okay." He gripped her clammy hand in both of his. "Everyone's going to be okay."

"Yeah." She said quietly. "I know...I just..."

The Doctor stood up slowly and sat down next to her, still gripping her hand. "C'mere."

Rose closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. He didn't fail to take note of the small gasp she emitted in doing so, sitting back up and reaching up to press a palm against her forehead. "Ow."

"What's the matter?" He looked down at her, grabbing her wrist and prying it away from her face. "Lemme see."

"Hurts." She protested, keeping her eyes shut but allowing him to brush the hair out of her away from her face. When she heard him sigh, she knew what he found.

"Stage two." He said simply. "I'll get something that'll make this feel a hell of a lot better in a little while." He let his fingers linger over the rash for a moment, only drawing back when she flinched. "Sorry," He muttered, putting his hand back into his lap. "How you feeling?"

"'M fine." She said simply, laying her head back down and letting out a ragged cough. She crossed her arms over her chest and shivered.

"Cold?" Surely the thin blankets he provided her with wouldn't be enough at this point with such a high fever. "Here."

He reached over to the chair in front of him where he'd placed his pin-stripe jacket, picking it up and draping it over her shoulders. Rose smiled appreciatively and wrapped it tight around herself. "Smells like you." She muttered.

"Surprise, surprise there." He laughed lightly and put an arm around her, drawing her close to him with a sigh. "Everything's gonna be okay, Rose."

"I know." She said contently. "Gonna be okay."

The pair sat in silence for several minutes, just happy to be in each other's company. The Doctor kept his arm around his companion, who's breathing was gradually slowing as she began to slip into unconsciousness once again.

"How much longer?" She asked sleepily.

"Hmm?"

"How much longer until its...done." She sighed. "Not that I regret anything, but...I'm ready for it to be done..."

"I know, Rose. It shouldn't be much longer. By tomorrow morning you'll probably be entering stage three..." He winced as he noticed the crack of emotion in his own voice. "Stage three." He cleared his throat and reached into his pocket, revealing the balm that would hopefully sooth her discomfort a bit. "Here."

"Hmm? Oh. Thanks." She reached out to take it from him, but he held it back.

"I've got it." He said simply, unscrewing the top and dipping in his thumb, sticking his tongue out in disgust at the feel of the slimy goo.

"No...s'ok I can do it. Its not that bad anyways."

"Rose, I've got it. Look up at me."

She complied, too tired to barely even register much anymore as she stared up at his big brown eyes.

The Doctor smiled softly and brushed the hair away from her face, rubbing his thumb over her forehead with a feather-light touch. Rose's eyes fluttered closed in comfort and she couldn't resist a small smile back.

After a moment he wiped his hand on his trousers, then cupped Rose's cheek with one hand while softly rubbing his thumb across her forehead in a gesture of mere comforting. "Hang in there. You're doing fantastic." He kissed the top of her head and pretty soon his hand had taken the full weight as she finally slipped into sleep. The Doctor lowered her head to her pillow as gently as he could, lifted her legs onto the cot, then covered her with the blanket. He grasped her hand tight, kissing her knuckles before patting it with affection and walking away.

**A/N: Review? Maybe? Thanks!**


	10. Worry

**A/N: Sorry about the slow updates .-.**

It was later in the evening the next day that the Doctor realized what horrible progress everyone was making. The twins, as expected, had died earlier in the day, and little Kaya and Jamaal were both in stage three, hanging on by a thread. All the other victims had at least a day left, which should be enough time for Rose to recover enough to be able to provide the antidote...shouldn't it?

Which reminded him, it was time to check her. When he arrived in her little semi-private corner of the room, Rose was wide awake, glassy eyes staring at the ceiling. "How's Xander?" Of course, it was the first thing she asked.

The Doctor knelt beside her, grasping her warm hand in his, and looked across the room to the small boy asleep on a cot...right next to his sister of course. The little boy was far into stage one, feeling a considerable amount of discomfort. Still, though, he had plenty of time. If everything went as planned, he'd be fine. "He's doing good." The Doctor told her simply.

Her only reply was a weak nod. She turned her head to look at the Doctor with hopeful, yet slightly regretful eyes. "Could you do somethin' for me?"

"Of course I can." He smiled encouragingly. "What do you need?"

"Can't sleep..." Her eyes revealed so much along with the simple two words. Her pleading, yet resentful tone didn't take him by surprise at all. She closed her eyes with a wince, and he knew how much pain she must be in. Enough that was keeping her awake when the best thing for her was rest.

The Doctor stood up, releasing her hand. "Quick trip to the TARDIS will fix that." He grinned.

"Do I need to come with you?"

"'Course not. I'll just pop over to the infirmary and be back in a jiffy." And with that he walked away.

Rose watched him go, waiting intently for the distinct sound of the front door shutting. When she did, she swung her legs over the side of her cot, the simple action making her head spin. She then managed to stand up, grab the wall for support, and make her way across the room.

* * *

The Doctor made it back to the TARDIS in a mere half hour. He hated being gone this long, but he owed this to Rose. Any amount of sufficient comfort would help her a great deal. Besides, there were helpers back at the house. He wouldn't be needed right then.

Upon entering the ship he made his way straight to the infirmary, choosing the correct little bottle of pills that would react properly to Rose's biochemistry. He took a good 10 minutes or so to find what he needed, grabbing a couple extra supplies as well just for safe measures, then departed back to the planet outside.

He felt in no hurry, whistling as he strolled, managing to enjoy the unsightly scenery. At his casual pace it took him a bit longer to return to the little village. He partially regretted being away for so long, but assured himself that everything had been fairly quiet and running smoothly.

But when he entered the sickhouse, he was proved wrong.

Rose was sitting up in a chair, leaning with exhaustion to one side as she mopped the brow of a fitfully sleeping Xander. Despite of her ill, weak, and pained self, she managed to stay in a semi-upright position as she cared for the child that had captivated her heart.

Of course, the Doctor's first reaction was anger, but that anger soon faded into compassion. For Xander, as well as Rose. Sometimes, she just cared too much.

The Doctor walked quietly until he was standing behind her. He put a hand gently on her shoulder. She flinched slightly, too weak to do much more, then turned her head to look up at him. Her gaze saw what was coming - a thorough scolding. But when all she got was a sympathetic smile in reply, she relaxed. "'M sorry."

"Don't be." The Doctor crouched next to Rose, but his eyes were on Xander. "How is he?"

Her only reply was the brushing away of the boy's long brown hair, revealing the rash that marked the beginning of stage two.

The Doctor sighed with a brief close of his eyes. "Its okay. You'll be better in plenty of time to save him..." He hoped with everything in him that those words were true. "Come on. I'll look after him. Back to bed with you."

Rose looked like she was about to protest, but decided against it, merely nodding. The Doctor grabbed her hand firmly, helping her up. Upon doing so she swayed dangerously, and grasped the Doctor's shoulder to keep herself from collapsing right then and there. She seemed to realize what she was doing, and managed to straighten herself, standing as tall as she could, trying to hold onto just a tiny bit of dignity.

But when the Doctor put a supporting arm around her waist, she didn't protest.

He led her back to her bed, gently helping her lie down. Her eyes had already begun to close, and she was asleep only seconds after her head hit the pillow.

The Doctor stood up, looming over her for a brief moment with adoration. He focused on her, and only her. The way her soft blond hair fell over her eyes, the way her sweat-streaked skin glowed under the lamp light, the way she looked so beautiful, even in such a state...

He shook his head, clearing the thoughts, and walked away without another.

Then, around 2 in the morning, Rose entered the final stage.

**A/N: Those reviews really encourage me to write, and write more often :)**


	11. Worse

**A/N: Just two more chapters after this one I think. I _may _get them uploaded today or tomorrow. If I decide to be nice.**

"Rose, come on. Just a little longer. Hang in there."

Rose's breath came out in shallow pants. She tossed and turned with eyes squeezed shut, soft groans escaping her lips as she fought the battle that was reeking havoc inside her. The Doctor knelt at her bedside, holding her hand tight as he tried to provide her with just a tiny bit of comfort. Her sweat-soaked face glistened under the lamp light, revealing her soft, pain contorted face. The shallow pants turned deep, as she drew in several desperate gasps for air.

"That's it. I can't do this anymore." The Doctor lowered his head with closed eyes in defeat. He stood up, slipping his hands under Rose and gently lifting her into his arms. She let out a soft moan of protest, but could do no more. She let her head lull against his chest as her arms and legs dangled freely from his grasp.

"It's okay. Just hold on a little longer. It'll be okay." He walked out the front door, ignoring the questions and quizzical stairs from the people he passed, and set foot for the TARDIS.

* * *

The Doctor laid Rose carefully on the infirmary bed, settling her head comfortably on the pillow. Her breathing had grown shallow once again, and her eyes remained closed. She was completely still except for the faint rise and fall of her chest.

"Can't believe I didn't think to do this before." The Doctor cursed under his breath, reaching into a drawer to extract a small syringe. "Just hang in there, girl. This will make you feel a whole lot better." He spoke aloud, even though he knew she probably couldn't hear him. After a few moments of preparation he walked to her bedside. He put a hand on her cheek, and her eyelids fluttered open. The first thing she caught sight of was the syringe in his hand. Even in her state, she knew what it was for.

"No." She whispered.

"Rose, this won't interfere with the natural course of the illness. You will still progress and heal at the same rate. But, it will make it much more bearable. Please. Its the least I can do."

She blinked up at him, hot tears stinging her eyes. "I'll...I'll still be able to...help the kids?" She asked in between pants.

"Yes."

She gave a slight nod of acceptance and closed her eyes again. The Doctor grabbed her hand from where it rested at her side, and gave it a comforting squeeze, then injected the life saving substance into her blood stream. She didn't even flinch. She was too weak.

"I'll let you rest, then we need to get back to the village." He discarded the empty plastic into the rubbish bin, then sat down with a sigh. "Just hang in there."

* * *

After an hour or so of rest, Rose had already begun feeling a bit better. She was more lucid, and her fever was down by a couple degrees. She was still very uncomfortable, but no more at the point of tears.

Back in the sick house, she lay staring up at the ceiling. The Doctor had stayed with her for a while, refusing to leave in case she needed anything, but she'd told him that he had better things to do. Of course, he'd protested, but Rose always won in the end. He was now making his rounds, tending to the sickest and healthiest victims.

Rose was so proud of him. Not that she hadn't known he'd have it in him, but she was just so impressed and filled with pride at how her Time Lord managed everything amongst the ill community. All the kids loved him. Even in the state they were in, she could see that little change in demeanor, that little glimmer in their eyes, every time the Doctor would come up to them. And he loved them as well.

A wailing sound broke into her thoughts. From the far side of the room, a boy was crying fitfully, tossing and turning in discomfort...no. The movement was quite jerky. His arms flailed, and his head shook, and it didn't take long for Rose to realize he was having a seizure.

And after a better look, with a gasp, she saw that the boy was Jamaal.

* * *

"Doctor!" Kirk called out desperately, kneeling over his boy as he helplessly watched him convulse. The Doctor was at his side at an intstant, crouching beside the cot.

"Fever's up to 106." He mused with wide eyes after briefly laying a hand on his forehead. He gently rolled him onto his side, running a hand through the boy's thick hair comfortingly. "Hold on. It'll be okay." He wasn't sure whether he was talking to Jamaal or Kirk, but both seemed to take heed to his comforting tone.

After about a minute, Jamaal finally stilled. "You're sure there's no way to get ice?" The Doctor asked.

"No..." Kirk said regretfully, staring in shock at his son. "No ice."

"Then get a cool flannel and bring his fever down..." The Doctor put a hand on Kirk's shoulder, staring him in the eyes. "He doesn't have a lot of time."

Kirk nodded and, with a sad look at his son, dashed away.

The Doctor stood up and ran a hand through his messy hair. He couldn't bring himself to say it...not to the boy's father, but Rose wouldn't be ready to give the antidote for another day. Jamaal had hours...at the most.

With a regretful sigh, the Doctor sulked away.


	12. Death

**A/N: So excited to see Into The Dalek tonight!**

It was midnight. Rose was asleep, as well as most of the rest of the house. The only ones awake were the Doctor, Kirk, who were fretfully tending to Jamaal. The young boy was the worst off...and was running out of time.

He was trembling...so hard it could be easily mistaken for another seizure, but he was just shivering. His fever continued to climb, leaving him hot and sweaty, but cold on the inside. His breath came out in shallow pants, and his hands were clenched into fists at his side. His ashen face was contorted in a mass amount of pain.

"Jamaal..." Kirk lowered his head, holding his son's hand, clinging to it like a life line. "Stay with us. Please."

The Doctor rubbed at his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut in despair. He held three fingers against Jamaal's neck, his expression growing more and more grave with every beat he felt against his fingertips.

"Kirk." He raised his head. "Fetch Freya."

"But-"

"Kirk." His voice hardened, and he gave him an knowing look. A look of anguish stretched across the man's face, but he just nodded in reply. He stood up and hurried away without another word.

"Just hold on a little longer. Atta boy." The Doctor managed a smile, running his thumb along Jamaal's forehead.

"Doctor?" He jumped as he heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned to see Rose standing their, a tear falling from her eye, staring at the feeble body that lay stretched out on the cot.

"Rose, you should be in bed." He tried to keep his voice firm, but couldn't find the energy.

She ignored him, swaying a little on her feet before kneeling down. "He's dying isn't he?"

"They're all dying." The Doctor said quietly. He felt pressure building up behind his eyes, and knew he was about to cry. Well that wouldn't do. He was a Time Lord. He wasn't that weak.

"But Jamaal..." Her voice cracked. "He's...about to die isn't he?"

"He has minutes." The Doctor confirmed. He rested his elbows on the side of the cot. Burying his face in his hands. He'd already failed to save the twins...now he was going to lose another victim to the disease. He took in a shuddering breath, shutting his eyes tight to hold back the tears. Gosh...he must really be tired if he's getting this worked up. He's lost many people before...countless...but for some reason, being here, having tried to help, and failed, it broke him more than ever.

Next the he knew he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Rose's tear stained face, staring at him with an expression equally of sadness and sympathy. Then, she was pulling him in to a hug. He accepted her embrace, holding her tight. They sat there for a minute, just comforted by each other, before the Doctor finally pulled back.

"Ah." He sniffed, shaking his head. "Sorry."

"Don't be." The tears of his had finally fallen, and she wiped them away with a feather-light touch of affection.

They turned at the sound of shuffling footsteps approaching. Kirk and Freya walked up to the cot, hand in hand. Freya's face was red and swollen, and it was apparent they'd been crying.

The Doctor stood up, taking a brief moment to take Jammal's wrist between his fingers. His breath caught in his throat. He watched the boy's chest anxiously, but it neither rose, nor fell. He turned to Kirk with an ashen face, and gave him a small nod.

For the first time, Kirk began to cry. He knelt next to his son, running a hand through his hair while the other held the hand of his bawling wife.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." The Doctor lowered his head, then turned around to face Rose. He extended a hand to help her up. "Let's give them some time."

She nodded gravely, tears flowing down her face once again. She stood up shakily, and the Doctor couldn't tell if it was a result of the sickness or her sadness. He tugged on her hand lightly, but instead of following she walked up to Freya, putting a hand on her shoulder. She sat down next to her and wrapped her in a hug. "I am so sorry."

Freya flinched back. "This is your fault..."

"I..." Rose sniffed. "I know."

"Wait, how on earth is this Rose's fault?" The Doctor questioned.

But neither of them replied. Not immediately at least. Rose stood up and backed away, swaying lightly on her feet, the Doctor reached out a hand to steady her, but she pulled away.

"I wasn't strong enough." She said quietly, walking away without another word. She stumbled and faltered on her journey back to her bed, but refused any offered help.

The Doctor stared at her in shock. How could she possibly blame herself for this...it wasn't in any way her fault that the illness hadn't made a quick enough progression inside her. In fact, it had progressed quicker than he had expected. It wasn't her fault.

Against his better judgment, he made his way across the room. Rose was seated on the side of her cot, arms braced out straightend on either side of her. She was breathing heavily, staring at the floor. She was exhausted.

The Doctor stood in front of her. She didn't seem to even notice him, and kept her gaze fixed on the floor.

"Rose?"

"What?"

"It's not your fault."

"I know."

"No you don't." He seated himself next to her, taking her hand in his. "Rose, you've been more than strong. Its because of you that dozens of more kids are going to _survive. _You hear that? Survive."

"But I wasn't strong enough for Jamaal." She turned her head away from him.

"Rose, what happened to Jamaal was out of anyone's control. Out of yours, out of mine, out of anyone's. It was his time to die."

"But he was only 11..."

"And you're only 20." He smiled down at her, even though she wasn't facing him. "So young, yet so brave."

Finally, she looked up at him, and smiled softly.

"That's my girl." He placed his palm on her cheek and brought her close, kissing her forehead. "How you feeling?"

"Better." She replied honestly. "But that's just due to whatever you gave me back in the TARDIS, yeah?"

"Well," He took his sonic screwdriver out of his jacket pocket, taking a brief moment to scan her. "Nope. Wore off a while ago."

"So that means..."

"It means you're getting better. Truly, finally, getting better."

She started laughing in relief. "You don't know how good that is to hear." After a few moments, she sighed. "How's Xander and his sister?"

"Xander's still in stage 2. I have no doubt that you'll provide the antidote in time for him. As for Kaya..." He hesitated. "She's in stage three, but started after Jamaal. She should be fine."

"Should?" She asked shakily.

"Will." He assured her. "I'm not losing anyone else."

"Neither am I." She gave him a lopsided smile before her jaws stretched wide in a yawn.

"Tired?"

"A bit." She admitted.

"It's late. Get some sleep. You should be well enough by tomorrow to provide the antidote."

"You sure?" She asked, already laying down.

"I'm sure." He tucked the covers around her, brushing her hair out of her eyes affectionately. "'Night, Rose."


	13. Thanks

**A/N: Final chapter. Hope you enjoy it! :)**

When Rose woke up, the first thing she noticed was that she felt so much better. Sure, she was tired, and felt a bit weak, but she could tell her body was no longer raging with fever. She raised a hand to her forehead...the rash was gone as well.

"Morning. Or should I say afternoon." She was greeted by the Doctor's happy voice. "Well..."

"Hey." Rose sat up slowly, rubbing the back of her hand over her eye sleepily. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Nearly 24 hours." He huffed. "Feeling refreshed?"

"I slept that long?"

"Yeah. And..." He swept a hand across the room. Everyone was awake...and looking more lively. "In that time, managed to extract the antidote. Your arm may be a bit sore for a while, and you're gonna be pretty tired for a few days, but you were more than well enough to provide it."

She grinned happily. "And now everyone's okay?"

"Yup! Well, mostly. Kaya and a couple others, who were well into stage three, will be pretty weak for a good while. But everyone else, Xander included," He added, anticipating her next question. "Is fine." He was slightly taken by surprise as Rose flung her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

"No." He hugged her tight, then pulled back, looking deep into her eyes. "Thank _you._"

* * *

"Ready to go?" Later that night, after being assured everyone was well, the Doctor and Rose were preparing to leave.

"Think so." Rose stood up slowly from her cot. "But...what do we do about Xander and Kaya? They're all alone..."

"Ah, nope. Already got that figured out."

"Really?"

"Really." The voice came not from the Doctor, but from Kirk, who was standing just a few steps away with his arm around Freya. In front of them stood the two little children, Kaya and Xander.

Rose had not seen her little friend since the antidote had been administered, nor him her. She was so pleased to see him up and about, so different than his feeble self had been laying helplessly so recently before.

"Wait...So,"

"Yes." Freya spoke up.

"You're adopting them?" She squeaked happily.

"Yes." Kirk smiled a bit sadly, but there was happiness there as well.

"But what about..." Rose was about to ask about Jamaal, but the hand on her shoulder and knowing gaze from the Doctor made her change her mind.

"There's a place in our hearts that only children can fill." Freya said softly, blinking against the tears. "And when the Doctor told us about these two, we just couldn't say no."

"Thank you, Rose." Kaya said in a high-pitched voice.

"You are very welcome." Rose smiled, heart swelling with happiness. She knelt down in front of them. "You two be brave, okay? And Xander, look after your big sis for me, will ya?"

She was taken aback as Xander dashed towards her, practically leaping into her arms as he gave her the biggest hug his little arms would allow.

Rose held him close, gently rocking him back and forth. She was gonna miss him so much, but he had such an amazing home now. She knew Freya and Kirk would take excellent care of him.

But she was even more surprised at what happened next.

Xander stepped back, and smiled brightly. "Thank you."

Rose couldn't help but laugh. A laugh of relief, pride, and just utter joy. She stood up, stepping backward until she was next to the Doctor.

"Take care of yourselves." The Doctor said kindly. Before they had the chance to walk out, two more people came running up to them.

"Wait!" It was Khanti and Joel.

"Hey." Rose greeted them, then took a minute to look around the room. "I did it."

"You sure did." Joel took a quick second to give her a brief, awkward hug in thanks. "You saved many lives, Rose Tyler. We will be eternally grateful."

"Not bad, Tyler." For the first time Rose had seen, Khanti smiled. "Not bad."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "I'm a lucky guy."

Joel's eyebrows raised briefly at what he thought the Doctor was implying.

"She's an amazing friend." The Doctor clarified a bit hastily.

Rose laughed at brief, awkward conversation. She tugged on the Doctor's sleeve. "Come on."

"Yeah. Let's go." He grabbed her hand, twining his fingers with hers then started for the door.

"Bye, Doctor. Bye, Rose!" Many people said their regretful parting words.

The pair waved in reply, then walked out the door. Their work here was done.


End file.
